“I’m still pinching myself about it. I really am. I genuinely never thought that we’d be back making the show, certainly not in a kind of ongoing capacity.  I’m trying to relish it as much as possible and enjoy every moment. It’s such a gift of a job.”

With the return of Daredevil on the screen comes some new challenges for the character, including, at the very top of Born Again, the death of Foggy Nelson, Matt’s best friend and one of the original show’s best characters. For Cox, the decision to kill such a beloved protagonist felt sad, especially “when you think that there’s so much material that we don’t get to have. There was so much lovely storytelling between those two friends. 

Other than Elden embodying the role so beautifully and bringing so much life to it, it was also a great device to get into the mind of Matt Murdock and really see how it affects the people around him. I understand that if you’re going to bring a show back after six or seven years,, you obviously have to come back with a bang and shake things up a bit. You want the audience to know that they’re not safe in this world, that at any given moment, the rug can be pulled up from underneath you. But it was a tough pill to swallow.”

On the flip side, an interesting arc is formed for Matt after the death of Foggy, as “he’s made a commitment to his in honor of his best friend to give up Daredevil entirely. It’s what people call living amends. You can’t make amends to that person face to face because they’re not here anymore, so you make amends by living your best life in honor of them. He makes that commitment, and the journey of that season is either the evolution or the devolution, however you want to look at it, back into the suit. 

That was what was fun to play with because, on the one hand, in those few episodes before he suits up, he’s living his best life, because he’s not out all night fighting bad guys. He can have a girlfriend, he can go to restaurants, and he’s not beaten up. He’s getting sleep and doing what he loves, making a difference as a lawyer again. So in some ways, his life is working, and there is an integrity to his opinion of himself that I think is significant. Having a real relationship for the first time, maybe ever, is wonderful. It was fun to play with this character and to explore that.

On the other hand, he’s denying an essential part of himself. He’s denying this alter-ego, which is much a part of his truth, if not the primary truth of his life. It will always be one of the most interesting things to witness with Matt Murdock: that pull in two different directions. I think that has to be at the crux of this character, and it’s really fun to play with and explore.”

Of course, there was much more to discuss on Cox’s incredible performance as Matt Murdock, including developing that push-pull as the episodes progress, mirroring the stories of both Matt and Fisk’s return to Daredevil and Kingpin, reuniting with Wilson Bethel, and working with directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead after the show underwent a creative overhaul. 

You can check out the full interview below and stream all episodes of Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+ today: 

[Some of the quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity]

The post Interview: Charlie Cox Discusses Returning as Daredevil in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

Downs is well-positioned to speak on such crises, starring as Deborah’s agent Jimmy, whose desperate attempts to keep his agency afloat throughout season four see him enlisting the talents of a content creator known simply as “Dance Mom” (Julianne Nicholson), and making calls to the office of Governor Gavin Newsom in order to save a struggling industry.

“Whether you’re in entertainment or not, you recognize the changes in our country and what it means to be living in late-stage capitalism and how hard that is,” says Downs.

While Hacks has been shot in Los Angeles since the beginning, its more recent embrace of the city as its proper setting has afforded Downs a lot of fun in representing the city he calls home onscreen.

“We wanted to highlight a lot of places that are near and dear to us,” says Downs.

One such place is The Americana in Glendale, which Kayla (Megan Stalter) affectionately – and to be fair, accurately – refers to as an “outdoor mall” when pitching it to Ava (Hannah Einbinder) as her unorthodox new home.

“It seems kind of like a dream to live at The Americana,” says Downs. “And also it was weirdly apropos to have Ava kind of live in a Cheesecake Factory, since that’s a callback to what she says to Deborah in the pilot.”

Season four brings several moments such as that one full circle, ultimately reflecting on Downs’ experience creating television alongside fellow showrunners Statsky and Aniello.

“The season was a meditation on not only what it means to make television, but also we were thinking a lot about the ways in which the industry has been changing,” says Downs. “Episode 9 ‘A Slippery Slope’ is literally about the slippery slope of what has happened to the entertainment industry with the disruptions of big tech.”

One might imagine how those conversations are personal for a creator like Downs, whose show has thrived in a legacy media environment like HBO Max, even as the streamer has overcome its own identity crises in this age of tech and entertainment convergence.

Check out my full conversation with Downs below, where we discuss all this and more, even highlighting a few of Downs personal favorite shooting locations in Los Angeles.

The post Interview: Paul W. Downs on Representing Los Angeles in ‘Hacks’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

I had the opportunity to speak with Metzler about the development of Sirens ahead of its May 22nd release. We discussed adapting her own work, building a creative community, and the intriguing interplay between class and gender.

Awards Radar: What inspired you to return to the world of Elemeno Pea?

Molly Smith Metzler: I did Maid with Netflix and that was an incredible experience with very serious subject matter. So, I was trying to figure out what to do next with Netflix. When I first came out to L.A. to do writing for television, Elemeno Pea was sort of my calling card. People frequently asked me about it, and one of those people was Jeanie Hao who remembered it from her days at John Wills Productions. Now she’s at Netflix and we did Maid together, and so she’s known the play for ten years. We were talking about it and she asked if I’d ever considered adapting it, and I was like “maybe”. And here we are and we’re going to drop it next week.

Awards Radar: I mean, I loved Maid. It was one of my favorite shows of 2021. 

Molly Smith Metzler: Oh, thank you!

AR: What was the process of adapting a play for television for you?

MSM: Well, like with Maid, when you’re adapting an award-winning incredible memoir I felt very obligated to honor as much of the book as possible. [Stephanie Land] is such a beautiful writer, I wanted to capture as much of the writing as possible. When you’ve written the IP the great thing is that you can just ignore it. I really threw a lot of the play out the window, we did a huge adaptation, it’s very different from the play. The play is one room and happens over one night with five characters. I love the play, but there was so much more to say about these characters and so much more world to show. So, I’d say it was really freeing because I was the author.

AR: I was going to say, the show itself feels so open in a way that the stage can’t replicate.

MSM: Yeah.

AR: For you, what’s the difference between writing or adapting a work for television be it a novel or your own work in terms of pivoting from one medium to another?

MSM: Like the difference between playwriting and television writing?

AR: Yes.

MSM: I think the primary difference is time. When you write a play, I’d say two years is about how long it takes before you’re ready to go on stage between the drafts and the workshops. You did a good job if it takes two years. In screenwriting, particularly for television, it’s a very rigorous schedule. I learned this on Shameless where we’d be breaking an episode in the room and we’d be shooting in less than two months. You’re going to come up with that story, write it, rewrite it, rewrite it, prep it, and shoot it. That all happens in an eighth of the amount of time it would take for a play. So, you have to learn to do it quicker than you do for a play.

AR: A lot of your work, including Sirens, focuses on these imperfect or complicated relationships between women. I was curious what brings you back to these very nuanced and complicated interpersonal dynamics?

MSM: When you write anything, or the reason I write anything begins with a question I have; it’s an investigation. I find women really fascinating and particularly right now I think it’s a brutal time to be a woman. I often end up writing about women now because I’m so curious about what makes them tick and who we are. What’s our identity now? How has it evolved? What do we stand for? These are questions that I tend to bring to FinalDraft when I open it.

AR: The thing that specifically fascinated me about Sirens is the dynamic between old money, new money, and the working-class and specifically the intersection between gender and class and how it’s portrayed in the show. WHat drew you to this very specific intersection?

MSM: I think I’m a bit of a dog with a bone when it comes to class in America. Whether I want to write about it or not, it’s always in my work. It’s fascinating, particularly in America, that you can’t really change your class. Or, I guess that’s the question I have. Can you change where you come from? Can you change your stripes? I just really enjoy characters that live on the line, and what they’re trying to figure out.

I also think it’s places like Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, both of which I’ve spent a lot of time on; Sirens takes place on a fictional island, but it’s very much one of those or in conversation with those. I think those places offer a lot in terms of conflict between working class and upper class. I think the conversations are a little hotter, a little sexier, when there’s so much on the line or there’s such a big divide between your bank accounts. It all gets a little more ripe for a good story.

AR: Now that you’ve brought it up, I do see how the writing [in these settings] does get a lot sexier. I see that there’s a lot more room for comedy too. So, how do you balance the tonality between this very pitch black comedy and the general tension that I cannot quite find an adjective for?

MSM: Tone is everything, especially when you’re creating a show. With a show like Sirens it does not easily check a box. It’s not a drama, it’s not a comedy, it’s not a muder-mystery, it’s not actually even a “rich people” show. It’s its own thing. A lot of times people struggle to describe Sirens, and I take that as a humongous compliment, but it’s what made the show so hard to make. It’s hard to set a tone like this where we’re doing our own thing and there’s moments that feel like mystery and moments that feel like genre. But, that’s where I like to live as a writer, where those things dance together. That is its own tone, I guess I’d call it a “true dramady”. All my favorite things that I read or watch on TV do that vivisection well between comedy and drama.

AR: Like living in the ambiguity.

MSM: Living in the grey.

AR: Living in the grey, I love that. So, this is your second time showrunning after Maid. What’s changed in your process from writing to having more creative control in this role?

MSM: I always say the best way to have more creative control is to let it go and delegate and hire and bring together a community of artists. On a show like Sirens which is so challenging. There were truly so many people that made this show. I was, obviously, heavily involved but it’s a designer’s challenge to create this world, the writers had a big challenge, the directors had a big challenge. There were so many people involved in coming together. That was the biggest change between my first show and my second and going forward. You get better at creating the community of artists that you need to make the show. And I’m so proud of Maid, and Maid was a wonderful experience, but because it was COVID the team was a very small group of people. It wasn’t a huge project, and there’s good and bad things to that as well. The better you get at showrunning, the better you get at hiring.

AR: That makes a lot of sense. I honestly forgot that Maid would’ve been a COVID production. I can imagine the difference in scale between the projects would’ve been different, especially since Sirens wouldn’t have those restrictions.

MSM: Yes, COVID was an incredibly difficult time to shoot.

AR: I can imagine. I also had a question about the setting specifically. Although Sirens takes place on a fictional island, I read that Elemeno Pea was inspired by your time working on Martha’s Vineyard. What about it makes Martha’s Vineyard such an, and I hate using the term, farmable place to craft these complex dynamics? 

MSM: Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket really have the highs and lows. I remember being twenty-two and arriving at Martha’s Vineyard, and I don’t even know what I was doing there. I got a job working at this very exclusive yacht club and was young and stupid enough to think I would have this experience. But, I ran out of money like two weeks into my trip and had to work so many jobs just to be able to afford living there. I remember getting off the boat and seeing a kind of money I didn’t know existed at this yacht club. I was distracted by it. There’s something tribal about them: they all dress the same, they have their gimlets, they’ve lost all track of time. It’s their world and we’re just living in it. I think I keep going back to that theme because I’m so curious about those women, who they are, and what happened to them after I left that summer. I think I’ve been writing about that summer ever since I experienced it because they were a complex stew.

AR: I get it, especially watching the show. Country club culture scares me but endlessly fascinates me too. Like, even though everyone’s so similar it seems to sow more discord.

MSM: It’s not a cult, but it’s also definitely a cult.

AR: THe definition can be stretched.

MSM: I remember it made a lot of sense to me. They’re definitely having a lot of fun, they’re having a better time than me.

AR: That’s something I’ve always wondered. Like, do these women have any problems? Or are the problems that seem so big just things that they can quickly bypass?

MSM: I think that’s one of the biggest things that Sirens is about. We make a lot of assumptions about these characters and I think by the end of the show it’s surprising to the audience and they’ll want to come back and reconfigure what all of it means.

AR: I definitely see a rewatch in my future because now that I’ve gone through it I want to watch it with all of the twists in mind. I want to see what watching it with a full picture will do, which is something I appreciate in a show.

MSM: Oh, absolutely. And to watch those performances a second time as well. I saw those performances every day for months now and I still find something more incredible each time. The cast is so superb.

AR: Yeah, I mean to your point of the more you work in something the better you get at building a creative community. What was it like working with such a varied, very talented cast on Sirens?

MSM: It was dreamy! Everyone in the cast, all unbelievably talented, very kind, very generous people. I will say working with Julianne Moore she’s the archetype of Michaela’s character. She’s got that icey power. I would do anything she’d tell me to do, she’s a definite cult leader. But, when we get to know her in the arc of the show, there’s such humanity and such compassion and such empathy; she can do it on command, it’s available to her all the time. That’s what made it so amazing to watch her. It was inspiring, I’d go home and do rewrites just for her. It was one of the coolest things I got to do. With Meghann Fahey too, Devon is a very hard role. She’s hard to like: she’s mean, sarcastic, and she’s got a lot of problems but she’s got a great sense of humor too. She’s spiraling in her own way, and she’s full of love. When we started to cast we knew we had to hit gold in this role, it’s such a difficult role and she’s also the metronome of the show. Meghann was such a gift because she does that so well. The balance and the humanity of that character could’ve gone in a different direction, and she made her so alive and so real.

The post Interview: Molly Smith Metzler on the Sharp-Witted Look at Class, Gender, and Complex Bonds in ‘Sirens’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

Designing a character like Oz Cobb didn’t feel like a challenge for Badie, who says that “it takes a tremendous amount of creativity” to reinterpret the character for this world: 

“In a way, it could be easier, because you have total autonomy on the design. For example, if you’re doing a biopic, it could be more difficult to design a character, because the world knows who that is and you have to recreate this specific person. That could sometimes be more difficult than creating an original character. However, The Penguin is an original creation, and Mike Marino is super creative. The same can be said for Sofia, who is a new character for this show. She was a clean slate, and I could incorporate what I felt was best for this character to help bring her to life. I didn’t find it to be very difficult to create her looks and other people in the show, because everybody was original.”

In terms of evolving Sofia’s look throughout the series, Badie explained that “her original look was like a mask. It was a costume that she was portraying this innocence in order to disarm everyone. It was a very calculated thing for her to make her hair traditional, demure, unassuming, that type of thing, to throw everybody off their game. Pre-Arkham, she was like daddy’s little girl. That was showing her innocence prior to being put in this asylum and all the trauma she went through inside. When she gets out, she puts on this mask because she’s been plotting the whole time. 

So she had to come out and make everyone think she’s healed or play the role that people thought that she was. However, she was ready to unleash all her evil, which takes us to the other haircuts. The first one would be a wolf cut. That was a little bit of her starting to reveal herself slightly. When it comes down to the mullet, which is the final look, that was her saying, “To hell with it. I’m going to be 100% true to myself, burn down everything, and unleash all my evil.” Her story, her hair had a personality of its own, and it was definitely a part of her character.”

Of course, there was also much more to discuss, including the importance of rooting each design in some form of reality, even if the series is set in the world of The Batman, the process that went into creating the designs for Victor, Carmine Falcone, the Maronis, and Oz’s younger version. 

Listen to the full conversation below: 

[Some of the quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity]

The post Interview: Discussing the Hairstyles of ‘The Penguin’ with Hair Department Head Brian Badie appeared first on Awards Radar.

Below, you can see my conversation with McGinley. Having grown up with his work, especially on Married with Children, it was really enjoyable to just be chatting with the man. We were riffing on telemarketing scams before we even started recording, before diving right into Shrinking and playing Derek as the man gets to evolve in the world of the show. He’s incredibly thoughtful and fun to talk with, especially given what this role is doing not just for his career, but for him as an artist. It was a lovely chat. The show is wonderful as well, and really is only getting better, not simply for him and his character, but overall, too. It’s streaming on Apple TV+ right now, so check it out if you somehow have not yet. You can thank me later…

Here now is my interview with Shrinking co-star Ted McGinley. Enjoy:

Shrinking is currently streaming on Apple TV+

The post Interview: ‘Shrinking’ Co-Star Ted McGinley Discusses Acting and the Evolution of Derek appeared first on Awards Radar.

Awards Radar had the opportunity to sit down with Steve Toussaint. The talented actor was excited about what’s to come for Lord Corlys Velaryon during the upcoming third season of House of the Dragon. Westeros isn’t kind to those who deal with tragedy, and Toussaint is very aware that his character will need to change in order to survive. The performer also praised other crew members who made the action of House of the Dragon possible. From showrunners to the costume design department, Steve Toussaint had nothing but good things to say about the team behind HBO’s massive hit. Here are some of the highlights from the conversation:

Awards Radar: In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, what was important for Corlys when it comes to his relationship with the Crown?

Steve Toussaint: I think that kind of changed as the season went on, he was forced to put his love for Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) by his beloved wife. He had been injured and he thought: “Let’s get out of this. This is not our war”. His wife thought: “No, this is the right thing to do”. And she was correct. During the first five episodes of Season 2, he was there due to a feeling of obligation towards his wife. That was reinforced after she had died. Her dying wish was to support Rhaenyra and hold the realm together by supporting what they believe to be the legitimate claim to the Iron Throne.

His relationship to the crown was complicated, nuanced. If you look at the two candidates, Rhaenyra and Aegon, she clearly is the right choice. But his family has been hurt by being close to the Targaryens. His daughter then dies after being married to the brother of the King. He’s ambivalent towards the Targaryens, and Rhaenyra in particular.

AR: What was it like to work with Eve Best during this season of House of the Dragon?

ST: It was the absolute best, pardon the pun. I had admired her before meeting her. I had seen her in a couple of things on the screen, I hadn’t seen her in theatre. I saw her in a wonderful show called The Shadow Line. And, of course, she was in Nurse Jackie. When they told me Eve would be playing that part, I was very excited. And you always hope you can get along with the person you’ll be working closely with. And we did! From the first day, we became very close colleagues and friends. It was a great joy. She’s one of those actors you can throw a line at differently, in different takes, and she will go along with it. It was a real heartbreak when her character met her demise.

AR: Did you read the book before working on the show?

ST: No, I hadn’t! George R.R. Martin was kind enough to send a few of us signed copies of the book. I had decided early on that I wouldn’t read the book because there’s the book and there’s the television series. They can be two different entities. The last thing I wanted to do was read something in the book that Miguel and Ryan, at the time, decided that it wasn’t cinematic. My job is to try mu hardest to portray the screen version that they had written. I’ll probably read the book when we finish this thing.

AR: When did you find out that Rhaenys was going to die? What was that like for you?

ST: They must have sent me the scripts before we had our first rehearsal. I must have found out then. My only memory of finding out is actually at the table reading. I know that can’t be possible, but that’s the memory that I have. Eve and I were sitting together. We got to the part where it says: “She plummets to her death”, or something like that. The entire room went like: “Oh no!”. Suddenly, it became real. I can’t say I was in shock, because it’s Westeros. People die all the time in Westeros. But it was hard to lose my partner in crime.

AR: The chemistry between the two characters was incredible. How did you work with Eve Best to craft this relationship?

ST: It was a lot of fun! There wasn’t a lot of work. I think I used to disagree with this idea of “chemistry”. I just thought: “If you just look into another actor’s eyes, there’s chemistry”. But having this experience and having so many people tell me what they felt watching the two of us together, I’m more open to it. When we were rehearsing with Ryan and Miguel before Season 1, there was one question we would ask. When know that they’re a power couple, but when they got together, was it a political thing or was it love? Both Ryan and Miguel, without hesitation, said it was love. That was very important.

As actors, we were teased by other cast members who portrayed people in relationships, because ours was the healthiest relationship. The characters like being around each other, they love each other. I was recently discussing Season 3 with someone, and I said: “The only time that Corlys smiles brightly is with her presence”. The only time he’s completely relaxed with himself is with her. These are things we discovered through playing these characters. A lot of that came from the fact that Eve and I liked each other anyway. We had wonderful conversations on set about all sorts of things. She’s a very funny and kind lady. She was kind enough to laugh at my jokes. That gets you a long way in my book.

AR: Moving forward, what is the essence of Corlys Velaryon? Now that he has lost Rhaenys.

ST: Without spoilers, if you watched the first two seasons, it will make sense. He basically is now about his legacy and what he leaves behind. At one point, he tries to name his granddaughter as his heir. Some people believe that the heir of Driftmark has to be salt and sea. He’s looking for that person. He’s looking for a vehicle for his name to continue. There is nobody else, his children are dead. The grandson who would’ve been the heir to Driftmark has also died. No spoilers, but that does leave his two illegitimate children. As we see at the end of Season 2, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) wants nothing to do with him. He hates him because of what he did. Corlys is in search of making a lasting legacy. He wants to keep the promises he made to his wife. We open Season 3 in a state of war for the succession.

AR: What is it like for you to work on the massive sets and real locations of House of the Dragon?

ST: It’s terrific! Anything that can aid your imagination makes acting much easier. I worked on this scale once before. I did a film called The Prince of Persia and that was a big deal. I remember walking into the set in Morocco and thinking it was huge. I get that feeling almost every day on this show. No spoilers, but what we have planned for this season is huge. The are some things that I have been told that I’ve never done on television before. It’s amazing! We were walking around the set just a couple of days ago, discussing the details on the paintings and the carvings on the columns. It’s truly amazing. I’m constantly amazed at the crafts people who work on the show. I told Loni (Peristere, one of the directors from the series): “I’m so glad that I don’t have to keep all of this memorized, like you”. He did the lovely, cheeky smile that he has. It’s a massive undertaking and an absolute thrill to be a part of it.

AR: What were your inspirations for the way Corys carries himself when he’s on the screen?

ST: I’ll tell you something that’s interesting. When I first met Ryan and Miguel, when I was trying to get the job, what we talked about, more than anything else, was about being a father. I’m not a father. But I had just played a father in a series of films and television that Steve McQueen had directed. One of them was Small Axe: Red, White and Blue. A played a father who was very stern. He loved his children, but he felt like he had to be tough.

We talked a lot about that character and that kind of father. That was the inspiration, after that, we started talking about our own fathers, myself and Miguel. About how you equip yourself to live in the world. Are you soft and kind? Or are you tough or whatever? A lot of those things kept coming back to me when I looked at the script. Specially when it comes to how Corlys is with his first son. He’s trying to secure a place for his family in a world where you can die very quickly. He hopes that his name carries on. When you first meet him, he’s like: “Let’s get to the throne!” He says to his wife: “It should’ve been you”. He’s very modern in the sense that he’s very supportive of his wife.

Both seasons of House of the Dragon are now streaming on Max.

The post Interview: Steve Toussaint Dives Deep into Playing Corlys Velaryon in ‘House of the Dragon’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

In a recent interview with Awards Radar, Krueger dissected his work as Coach Ben—a role that gave him a fleshed out character, room for creative interpretation, and the physical challenge of often working one-legged after the tortured character went through a stomach churning post-crash amputation. The role required discipline, instinct, and commitment to shape Ben’s heartbreaking journey. Krueger’s words pull back the curtain on how he physically and mentally transformed the character into one whose impact will be felt long after digested.

Krueger’s discipline is evident in his calculated physical evolution, a series-long commitment to mirror Ben’s decline. To help make his physical erosion more prominent the actor did not start with weight loss, instead choosing to gain weight. “I started the long game. I like as much information as I possibly can have. Part of the job of acting is you have to know more than the audience,” shared Krueger.

“At the beginning of season one, I put on a lot of weight. [Coach Ben] is 1990s New Jersey former athlete, muscled out beefcake, perfectly fit. I knew that I could gradually lose the weight. By the time we got to season two, I was down to my normal operating weight,” he explained. “Then going into this season, I started months out. The first script said, ‘Ben looks as gaunt as we’ve ever seen him‘. [Ben] has kind of been off on my own, just grounging for food, trying to catch whatever [he] can. So that was important to me. There’s a whole thing around actors and weights and what they’re doing for roles and… how extreme actors go to me should always be dictated by the story.”

Krueger’s work was not stunt acting, it was layered storytelling. His commitment to Coach’s physical decline conveyed a character who was not only struggling with physical malnourishment as he would abstain from any of the cannibal feasts, but also a loss of morale as he witnessed these young women he coached regress in the most primal of ways. Every glance and stagger felt painfully real, as Ben struggled to stick to his beliefs in a setting that would beat down even the strongest willed.

This season showcased both the physical toll of being stranded in the wilderness and the impact on Coach Ben’s mental state as he responded to voices only he could hear. While fans have numerous theories of voice origins, Krueger revealed that they were not specifically defined by the writers, who trusted him to portray them as a psychological response to Ben’s mental deterioration after six months alone.

“I was talking to whoever I thought might be there, whether it was my subconscious, whether it was my alter ego, whether it was Paul (François Arnaud), I was just trying to make conversation with anybody. That is not the first time that I’ve been talking to somebody.”

Another burning question fans have not been able to shake, who set fire to the cabin. The actor does provide some insight, but no answers, which he feels is kind of the point. “Some stuff we leave a little bit more vague and ambiguous. For instance, I don’t think we’re ever really gonna find out if we’re ever really gonna know who burned down the cabin or what happened to the cabin,” shared Krueger. “I think that’s one of those great stories. Was it Ben? I don’t know, maybe, maybe not. Was it the other other Tai? Was it just a spark that got lifted in the wind from having a bunch of open flames and an old wooden cabin? Who knows? But the important thing is the effect that it had on the group and what happened afterwards, like what transpired because of those events.”

Where discipline laid the groundwork, Krueger’s instincts elevated the final moments of Coach Ben with a prime cut in letting go in one of the most powerful moments of the series. Coach, who is now the captive of the Yellowjackets, wasting away, unwilling to eat. He is gaunt, weakened, disheartened and hoping to die – a shell of the man he was before the crash. His condition is too much for Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) who decides to put him out of his misery. The actor found the closure of his character to be quite fitting. “When I first when I first found out about exactly what the destiny would be, I was like, this is poetic. This is exactly what should happen – it should absolutely be Natalie that does the final act as kind of a mercy killing,” explained Krueger. “And then also just for me as an actor, working with Sophie Thatcher is one of my favorite things in the world.”

“If I have a scene with her, my entire body just relaxes, I know that I’m not gonna have to work too hard, I know that I can just be with her and be present in the moment… I went into that scene… knowing what it was, and having an idea of how it should look. But I also let the idea go because I was like, let’s just see what happens with Sophie and I. We really played off of each other and just kind of let it breathe as much as possible,” continued Krueger. “That naturally led to all of the emotion. This was a long goodbye for the character and for me as an actor on the show as well. So everything just came together really, really beautifully, I thought.”

Krueger’s ability to abandon preconceptions and lean into the energy of each scene created a performance that’s raw, wrenching, and unforgettable—ending a goodbye that gutted fans. It is a testament to an actor who wove discipline, instinct, and courage into every frame. His transformation, presence, and moral weight turned Coach Ben into a character we couldn’t look away from, even as he broke us.

Even post death, Coach Ben’s presence continued to be felt, especially when his decapitated head lead to the literal “WTF!” moment (one of my favorites not only of the series but of recent TV as a whole). Watch the full interview below for: the amputation challenges, learning the fate of his character, funeral parties, Coach Ben ghost detective, and much more.

All three seasons of Yellowjackets are now airing in their entirety on Paramount+.

The post Interview: Steven Krueger On His Transformation For Coach Ben’s Heartbreaking Endgame in ‘Yellowjackets’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

O’Reilly knew she was a part of something special while reading the screenplay, stating that she could “ feel the ambition of the piece. I could feel the ambition of everyone around in every department, particularly for season two. Perhaps we knew that because we were all finishing together. We all wanted to reach as far as we possibly could, both individually and as a collective. However, when I received those scripts, it didn’t just feel special, but it felt important.”

Of course, the big moment for Mon Mothma’s arc in the second season is the speech that she gives in the ninth episode, which will likely stand the test of time as one of the most powerful scenes in Star Wars history. In approaching such a scene like this, O’Reilly explains that she had known the speech was coming for a long time, and it felt like “the crux of who the woman is. It allowed us an opportunity to see a character who doesn’t ever pick up a blaster and doesn’t ever hop in a fighter ship. She is effective for the rebellion and the resistance just by using her voice. Diplomacy first, but what you see in the speech is her superpower, which is her voice, and that was very important to me.

I was very grateful that Tony Gilroy and Dan Gilroy, who wrote that episode, really gave narrative space and screen time to that moment and me, as an actor, by happenstance. What makes this speech so special is also what is layered before it. You understand the complexity of that moment. You understand the fear of the environment. You understand that she is alone, that the rebellion isn’t straightforward, that what was an ally now can be feared. There’s a beautiful scene with Luthen at the beginning of that episode, which really shows these prickly allies that have always needed each other, cognizant of the idea that they can no longer go forward together.

There are fissures all the way through episode nine. The tectonic plates of resistance are moving underneath the whole episode. In fact, there’s the bit before, which I think is really important, is for her to be completely alone in that chamber. She’s just a single, lonely woman. Moments like that allow us to recognize ourselves and understand that it is not easy. We, as viewers, understand that courage is required. We understand the risk. We understand that she is taking every step closer to setting fire to her whole life. 

Therefore, when you get to the speech, there is already a tinderbox of flames around. I hope people feel that as they watch it, the speech itself, getting to give that, I hope, will be one of the most memorable experiences of my whole life as an actor.”

With a show like Andor, there is a lot to talk about, and there’s plenty more you can get out of our interview with Genevieve O’Reilly by listening to the full conversation below: 

[Some of the quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity]

The post Interview: Genevieve O’Reilly Unpacks Mon Mothma’s Arc in Season Two of ‘Andor’ appeared first on Awards Radar.

“I hope that our Emmy win helps push the industry to recognize how so much of its music is made, and embrace the idea that a team of composers can create an award-winning score,” says Claeys, who served as Bear’s lead composer on the series. “The truth is we’re not the first team to do it—just one of the first to be credited.”

Claeys’ role as lead composer/score producer on Percy Jackson required him to not only make his own musical contributions to the project, but also identify the strengths of his co-composers, delineating responsibilities and cues accordingly. Côté’s background scoring adrenaline-fueled projects like Halo and Call of Duty: Vanguard for Sparks & Shadows made him the perfect choice to work on some of Percy Jackson‘s most action-packed and creature-heavy sequences, while Hartov’s prowess as an indie film composer lent him a knack for the series’ more sentimental moments. Although Claeys was tasked with ensuring the score cohered into one consistent sound, he and McCreary also encouraged the team to think outside of the box.

“Although our main palette was orchestra, we often use soloists and sound design to create unique and memorable motifs,” says Hartov. “For Hades, we composed melodies for the yayli tanbur, played by the great Malachai Bandy, and accompanied it with dark, brooding choir and brass. Hermes was accompanied by ticking clocks and other motorized sounds.”

Another point of pride for McCreary and the entire Sparks & Shadows team is the live recording of the score right in Los Angeles.

“The music wouldn’t hit the same way without our live orchestra,” says Côté’. “We had the opportunity to record here in Los Angeles with some of the best players in the world, and their contribution can’t be understated. Live players add a humanity to music that’s hard to describe; you just feel it, and it absolutely elevates the music to the next level.”

Check out our full conversation with Claeys, Côté, and Hartov below. All three men are among the most exciting young composers in film/TV, and offer special insight on not only their own careers, but also their unique relationships with an immense talent like Bear McCreary.

Hey guys! Congrats on your recent win at the Children’s & Family Emmys. What was your initial reaction to such a major career milestone?

Brian Claeys: It was pretty surreal—and definitely not something we were thinking about when we started working on the score back in 2023. Being able to go on stage and accept the Emmy as a team was really special. There are so many incredible composers and scores out there, so while I always believed we made something great, I never expected to actually win an Emmy. It meant the world to have the trust that was placed in me and the team validated like that.

Alexandre Côté: Totally agree with Brian, it was really a total surprise. I feel incredibly grateful towards all of my teachers and mentors, and especially to Bear [McCreary] for believing in us. This is a really exciting recognition that we’re honored to accept on behalf of the entire music team, including the orchestrators, mixing team, and of course the players themselves. 

Jesse Hartov: It was an extraordinary experience to receive this award as a team, and we’re immensely grateful. It was also really special to spend an evening celebrating children’s and family media, and meeting many talented folks working in this field. 

Your Emmy win was also one-of-a-kind in that it was awarded to your entire team at Sparks & Shadows. How does the composition process differ when the score is crafted by a team such as yours?

JH: Composing as a team is a collaborative experience, and the ability to bounce ideas off of each other is both motivating and rewarding. Composing can sometimes be isolating – working in your “cave” and plugging away at your DAW. But writing on a team is more analogous to being in a band, and getting to react to your co-composers’ musicality.

AC: It’s really cool to listen to everyone’s work because it gives me a fresh perspective on how to approach a scene. We all have musical tricks we fall back on from time to time, which – while helpful – can start to feel stale. Being part of a team opens the opportunity to be inspired and learn from each other, and grow as a composer.

BC: The Emmy nomination and win being credited to a team like Sparks and Shadows was pretty special, but only made possible because of Bear’s deliberate effort to have the team credited on the show—something that’s very uncommon in the industry. He’s spoken about this in recent interviews, but the reality is that most modern film and TV scores are the work of a team like the one we had on Percy, not an individual composer as is usually credited. Not to say that there aren’t scores where that’s not the case, or where the lion’s share of the work is in fact done by one individual. The truth is that many writers contribute to many scores, but many of those composers are never credited. 

In my experience this isn’t necessarily due to bad intentions, but to the demands of modern scoring: fast turnarounds, high production expectations, and the sheer volume of music required. What do you do when you need to re-write an entire episode overnight? If you’re working alone, the answer is: you can’t. This kind of thing came up on Percy when the schedule became extremely tight towards the end of season one, resulting in us having to write the finale in just four days. Despite the crunch, in my opinion that episode has some of the best music in the entire season. 

Even with more ideal deadlines, you’ll never have an endless amount of writing time. But if you have a singular vision, good themes, and an established musical palette, working with a team allows every cue to receive the maximum amount of time and effort possible—and still feel consistent with the rest of the score. I hope that our Emmy win helps push the industry to recognize how so much of its music is made, and embrace the idea that a team of composers can create an award-winning score; because the truth is we’re not the first team to do it—just one of the first to be credited.

The Sparks & Shadows team is led by acclaimed composer Bear McCreary. How has Bear’s style shaped your own musical sensibilities?

BC: Bear’s been an incredible mentor to me for basically my entire career, as I began working at Sparks & Shadows only a week after moving to LA in 2019. Over the years I’ve learned so much, a lot just from being around and involved in the production of so many different scores. One of the biggest things Bear emphasizes is the importance of collaboration between composer and filmmaker—how to realize their vision and tell a story through music. It’s easy to get lost in the technical details of scoring, but in the end, the music only works if it’s serving the story. And that only happens if you’re asking the right questions—both to the director and to yourself.

AC: To me, Bear’s style is all about being bold, and I’ve tried to take that ethos into every cue and every project. So when I start a piece of music, I’m always thinking; “how do I convey this musical idea as clearly and confidently as possible?”. I would rather take a big swing musically and be wrong than take a half-hearted approach and be right. I’m incredibly grateful that I’ve gotten to see how Bear approaches the orchestra, and incorporate his ideas into my music.

JH: Bear is not only a brilliant composer, but a master at dramatic storytelling. I’ve learned a lot from him about narratively supporting what’s going on on-screen, and making sure that the cue you’re writing is achieving the story’s goals. But with that said, any cue that Bear writes is going to have a developed musicality to it–a style of its own, and a language of its own. Achieving all of those things in a cue takes practice and skill, and it’s a privilege getting to learn that from Bear.

What was the division of labor like while scoring Percy Jackson & The Olympians? Could you each describe your individual contributions to the project?

BC: I had the privilege of working as Bear’s lead composer on Percy, but when it came to actually writing the music, we were all in it together. Each composer wrote cues that only they could write and contributed in an irreplaceable way to the score.That’s the heart of the score, but there’s a lot more that goes into it as well. Spotting, orchestrating, recording, mixing, music editing, there’s a ton of other people involved and a lot of moving parts, especially when you’re doing it all eight times in a row over the span of a few months.

As lead composer, I was essentially the point person for Sparks and Shadows and responsible for making sure everyone involved was set up for success. I would spot each episode with Bear and the showrunners, after which I’d then assign cues to the team and make sure everyone had the information they needed to approach each scene. I also had to look at each cue and evaluate how it fit into the bigger picture of the episode and/or score. Each composer needed to be on the same page when it came to the overall musical direction and development throughout the season. It was my job to make sure that was the case and that the resulting score felt cohesive and was what the showrunners were looking for. I was also in charge of producing the recording sessions and reviewing the final mixes before they went to the stage, but it was always great to have the writers involved in each of those opportunities when it came to their cues as well. 

AC: A lot of my effort went into defining the musical language for the monsters. In the first episode, one of the cues I composed was the Minotaur chase sequence, and Bear, Brian and I spent days adjusting and tweaking the music so we would have a robust palette to pull from as we encountered more monsters in the season.

I also got the opportunity to write music for the Olympus scenes in the season finale. We wanted it to feel lonely, empty, but with an ancient elegance to it. I drew a lot of inspiration from Gregorian chants and created a rigid sound that we hadn’t heard yet this season. It was great to take the lead on these aspects of our score, and refine it with the team. Once the music is approved, we all work with the orchestrators and musicians to take it from computer to recording stage.

JH: I had the opportunity to work on developing sonic palettes for several notable characters, which was a blast. Although our main palette was orchestra, we often use soloists and sound design to create unique and memorable motifs. For Hades, we composed melodies for the yayli tanbur, played by the great Malachai Bandy, and accompanied it with dark, brooding choir and brass. Hermes was accompanied by ticking clocks and other motorized sounds. Motifs and themes are an area where we want each character to have a sound world of their own, and thinking outside the box often gets us there.

Brian – As the score producer on the series, how did you identify and assign each musical cue to the other members of the Percy Jackson team?

BC: One of the cool things about creating a score as a team is that no two composers would write the same cue the same way. Everyone could’ve done a great version of any cue—but having worked with each of them before, I usually had a good sense of who would be the best fit for a specific scene. Different cues demand a different touch and style, even within the cohesive sound of the overall score, so it was helpful to already have an idea of which writer would be best suited to tackle a cue based on my experience with their unique style and voice.

At the same time, I definitely didn’t want to pigeonhole anyone or deny someone the chance to try something different. Everyone on the team brought a lot to the table and really immersed themselves in the score, so I tried to stay open to mixing things up if someone felt strongly about writing a particular cue.

Can you each share a personal favorite musical moment in the series?

JH: The Ares battle in the season finale was one of my favorite sequences to score. We had the opportunity to bring back so many themes and leitmotifs in this sequence, and really turn things “up to 11.” Getting to be bold thematically is one of my favorite aspects of working on Percy.

BC: I feel like on almost every episode there was a cue that kept me in the studio for 24-48 hours straight—but those were often my favorite cues in the whole show. It’s hard to choose, but if I had to pick I’d say that the two scenes with Poseidon—one with Sally in episode seven and one with Percy in episode eight—mean the most to me. Those scenes are so beautifully shot, written, and acted, and I really wanted the music to rise to that level. I’m really proud of how those cues turned out and how they support two of the emotional climaxes of the season.

AC: For me, it would have to be the moment in the finale when Percy, Grover, and Annabeth part ways after the quest is over. It’s the emotional climax of the season that shows a softer and more vulnerable side to the trio, as they each reflect on their journey and look towards the future. It’s quite bittersweet, and I wanted to give this scene the impact it deserves.

Musically, it was an opportunity to weave all of our character themes together, each dovetailing from one to the other as our heroes have their moment. I pulled some inspiration from John Williams’ Harry Potter music, specifically the finale of The Sorcerer’s Stone. His music does a wonderful job of communicating a complex emotion with simple and clear music ideas. I felt there were a lot of parallels between the two scenes, so I aimed to capture a bit of his musical magic into our Percy music.

That being said, the music wouldn’t hit the same way without our live orchestra. We had the opportunity to record here in Los Angeles with some of the best players in the world, and their contribution can’t be understated. Live players add a humanity to music that’s hard to describe; you just feel it, and it absolutely elevates the music to the next level.

Alex – Working alongside Bear McCreary has also afforded each of you the opportunity to work on such titles as Paramount+ Halo Series and the iconic Call of Duty: Vanguard. Do you have any favorite memories or relationships that have stemmed from your work on any of these projects?

AC: There are so many great moments! It’s hard to choose. I’ll say that one of the best parts of working with Bear is that he always advocates for live players, and often some very out-of-the-box ones. Bear knows how to push every instrument to its limit and then some, and I’ve gotten to meet and learn from so many amazing musicians. Each time I come away with a new perspective on their instrument, and it changes how I approach writing for them in the future. It’s quite inspiring.

Our mixing team of Ben Sedano and Ryan Sanchez that we’ve been working on several of our projects are amazing as well. They were the team on Percy Jackson as well; Ben was our score editor, and Ryan the mixer. We’ve worked together now so many times that we’ve developed a shorthand, and they know what we’re looking for musically in our mixes and takes. Mixing is instrumental in tying together the sound of the show, even more so with multiple composers.

Jesse – How does your work on such high-profile projects differ from your experiences scoring independent film?

JH: I really enjoy getting to work in both of those worlds, because they provide different challenges. I’m very grateful that I get to work on high-profile projects, with larger budgets, and teams of uber-talented folks doing what they do best. Those projects often feel like a well-oiled machine with very high production quality, and that’s a special thing. Bouncing over to the indie side, each project is like a new puzzle to solve, because indies can be so unique and exploratory. Every time I work on an indie, I have to question not only the score direction, but my actual process of scoring, because sometimes there’s an opportunity to shake things up, and try something I’m not used to. For example, I have an indie feature coming up called “Coaled Blood” where I’m experimenting with a lot of unusual alternate tunings on guitar–something that’s forcing me to write and perform differently. It’s an exciting process. 

What can fans expect next from each of you, both on Percy Jackson and beyond?

BC: We’re all super excited to dive back into Percy Jackson. After spending so much time developing the sound of season one, we have a strong foundation to build on—at the same time, we’re also looking forward to expanding on the score and trying some new things. There are new characters and storylines in season 2, as well as some opportunities to build upon already existing themes. We’re all excited to see how the score grows with these characters as they change and mature.

Alex, Jesse, and I also had the chance to keep working with Bear recently, contributing additional music to a new show coming out in August. Can’t say much more just yet—but hopefully ye will ken soon

AC: Season 2 will be bigger and a touch more serious as the stakes go up. Our characters are growing up, and the music will do its best to mirror their new experiences. As Brian said, we’re excited to journey along with the characters, and infuse our emotional reactions to their story in our music.

Past Percy, I’ve wrapped up an original score to a dark comedy, and have a few other things coming along that I’ll be sharing when the time is right!
JH: Percy Season 2 is going to be awesome, and we’re excited to be a part of it. For the sci-fi fans out there, I’d recommend listening out for Bear and Sparks & Shadows on Foundation Season 3, dropping on Apple TV+ in July. In regard to solo projects, I’m working on Coaled Blood and have been busy in the lab doing custom sampling for that project. The film is by writer/director Sean Perry, who I had the pleasure of working with on DASH, available on Amazon Prime. If you like thrillers, I’d highly recommend checking it out.

The post Interview: Composers Behind Emmy-Winning ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Score on Collaborating with Bear McCreary appeared first on Awards Radar.

In building upon the foundation of season one’s score, Roberts explains that “ I loved what Nick had established in season one, so I wanted to continue that vibe and not make it feel like it was a totally different person. I dove deep into his palette and made sounds that are similar. I used the Andor theme when necessary and when applicable. However, Tony Gilroy was pretty clear. We have new planets, worlds, and characters, but we also have massive dramatic arcs for everybody. He said, “I want you to run with that and make it your own while also nodding the hat back to season one.” But it also has to segue into Rogue One. If you’ve listened to the palette of Michael Giacchino’s score, it’s very orchestral. Maybe there’s some electronics in there that you just don’t hear, but the main takeaway is how it’s 100% orchestral to segue into A New Hope. There was a challenge of coming from one style, slowly morphing into another style, while bridging the two. It was a challenge, but it was a great one.”

As each block of three episodes cuts to a year later, Roberts says that the screenplays are so detailed that “it transfers into the music organically. He’s setting a lot of the stuff in new worlds, or he’s focusing on different parts of the characters. We leaned into that to create a musical vibe for each of the three episode arcs. Obviously, you’re keeping track of the 12-episode arc, and then you’re keeping track of the two-season arc simultaneously. Even within that, I think each one of these three episodes has its own musical vibe, while still trying to maintain some thread. With that many episodes, it was actually refreshing, because it allows you to reset each three episodes on some level, musically,”

Of course, there was much to talk about with a show where music plays a significant role in it. We not only discuss the process of composing music for the newer worlds of the season, including Mina-Rau and Ghorman, but we also discuss how the Niamos theme was reinterpreted for Mon Mothma’s wedding dance, doing something different with Yavin’s musical palette, and how to utilize music for dramatic tension and during the show’s multiple action sequences. 

You can listen to the full interview below and stream all episodes of Andor – Season 2 on Disney+ today. 

[Some of the quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity]

The post Interview: Discussing the Music of ‘Andor – Season 2’ with Composer Brandon Roberts appeared first on Awards Radar.